One of the facts about Martin Luther King Jr. that most people are unaware of: His birth certificate reads Michael King, an ode to his father, a former pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

• Martin Luther King Jr. was an important leader and activist in the civil rights movement. • He was born Michael King Jr. on Jan. 15, 1929 in Atlanta.

1948 – Is ordained a Baptist minister. 1954 – Becomes the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. December 1, 1955 – Seamstress and civil rights activist Rosa Parks refuses to ...

King’s father changed both of their names from Michael to Martin Luther in honor of the protestant reformer. Youngest person, at the time, to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Author of five books, published ...

(Reuters) - Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was shot in Memphis 40 years ago today in a racially charged assassination. Following are some facts about King: * Born in 1929 in Atlanta, King ...